The poison laboratory of the Soviet secret services, alternatively known as Laboratory 1, Laboratory 12, and Kamera (which means "The Cell" in Russian), was a covert research-and-development facility of the Soviet secret police agencies. Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the laboratory manufactured and tested poisons, and was reportedly reactivated by the Russian government in the late 1990s. The laboratory activities were mentioned in the Mitrokhin archive.

Chronology

Human experimentation

Mairanovsky and his colleagues tested a variety of lethal poisons on prisoners from the Gulags, including mustard gas, ricin, digitoxin, curare, cyanide, and many others. The objective of these experiments was to identify a tasteless, odorless chemical that could not be detected post-mortem. Candidate poisons were administered to the victims along with a meal or drink, disguised as "medication". Ultimately, a preparation meeting the desired criteria was developed and referred to as C-2 or K-2 (carbylamine choline chloride). According to witness testimonies, the victims experienced physical changes, such as a rapid weakening and diminishment in height, followed by a calm and silent demeanor, culminating in death within 15 minutes. Mairanovsky intentionally brought individuals of various physical conditions and ages into the laboratory to comprehensively understand the effects of each poison. Pavel Sudoplatov and Nahum Eitingon only approved specialized equipment (namely, poisons) if it had been tested on "humans", as revealed in the testimony of Mikhail Filimonov. Vsevolod Merkulov stated that these experiments received authorization from NKVD chief Lavrentiy Beria. Following Stalin's death and Beria's subsequent arrest, Beria attested on August 28, 1953, that "I gave orders to Mairanovsky to conduct experiments on people sentenced to the highest measure of punishment, but it was not my idea". In addition to human experimentation, Mairanovsky personally executed people with poisons, under the supervision of Sudoplatov.

Prominent victims

Alleged victims

Planned victims

Threatened dissidents

The New York Times reported that Garry Kasparov, the chess champion and Putin opponent, drinks bottled water and eats prepared meals carried by his bodyguards.

Notes and references

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